Hermiston Mourns 16yo Girl Killed on Way to KISS Concert

Natalya Martinez, a junior at Hermiston High School who had performed on the cheer squad last year, was killed in a car crash near Olympia last weekend.

Washington State Patrol said she was in a vehicle with her mother when they got a flat tire. Waiting on the side of the road during busy traffic for a tow truck to arrive they were hit from behind by a man from Poulsbo with an 8-year-old girl in his car.

Martinez's mother said she doesn't remember the accident. She was awoken lying in a smashed car with glass everywhere. The family was driving from Hermiston to Seattle via Portland for a KISS concert. It was her fourth time seeing the band.

Family said she was excited to become a new aunt when her brother's daughter was born. She was hoping to become a nurse, and in the short term rejoin the cheerleading team and adopt animals.

Authorities believe the driver of the vehicle that hit Martinez and her family was impaired while driving. Felony chargers are likely. Multiple witnesses say he had been driving erratically. His 8-year-old daughter was also injured.